Active Reading

Many of you may remember this information from last quarter, but I'd like to take a moment to reiterate the importance of active reading. Throughout Writing 2, you will read a number of articles, essays, and pieces of literature--all of which will require thorough, active reading. Here, at the beginning of the quarter, it is worth remembering what that means, and how to read in this manner. I've pasted the handout from last quarter here--take a look to refresh your memory...


Active Reading (from www.nsbe.org/programs/studytips2.php)

STEP ONE: SURVEY. Skim the chapter, reading only the chapter title, subtitles, italicized terms, boldface type, and introductory or summary sections. Make mental predictions about what you think the chapter will discuss.

STEP TWO: QUESTION. Change all chapter titles, subtitles, sections, and paragraph headings into questions. For example, the section heading “The Gas Laws of Boyle, Charles, and Avogadro” might become “What are the gas laws of Boyle, Charles, and Avogadro?” Similarly, you could transform “Distinguishing Heredity and Environment” into “How does one distinguish heredity from environment?” These questions become “hooks” on which to hang the reading material. *Write these questions out in a reading journal, leaving plenty of room for notes. Look over the questions to see the emphasis and overall direction of them. Determine if there are any questions you can answer before doing the reading.

STEP THREE: READ. Read the chapter section by section for the purpose of answering the questions generated in Step 2.

STEP FOUR: RECALL. Without looking at your book or notes, mentally visualize and sketch, in your own words, the high points of the material immediately upon completing the reading.

STEP FIVE: REVIEW. Look at your questions, answers, notes and book to see how well you actually recalled the reading (i.e. completed Step 4). Observe carefully the points you recalled incorrectly or simply omitted. Fix carefully in your mind the logical sequence of the entire idea or problem, or of all the concepts covered in each section or chapter. Finish up with a mental picture of the WHOLE concept, paragraph, or chapter you’ve just covered.


More Active Reading Strategies

Choose the strategies that work best for you or that best suit your purpose. You do not need to use them all every time you read.

Ask yourself pre-reading questions. For instance: What is the topic and what do you already know?

Define any unfamiliar terms.

Bracket the main idea of the reading and put an asterisk next to it. You will read the introduction or first paragraph carefully to find this information.

Put down your highlighter. Make margin notes or comments. Every time you feel the urge to highlight something, write instead. You can summarize the text, ask questions, give assent, or protest vehemently. Have a dialogue with the author. You can also write down key words to help you recall where important points are discussed.

Write questions in the margins. Answer the questions in a reading journal or on a separate piece of paper. If it is a textbook, try changing all the titles, subtitles, sections and paragraph headings into questions.

Make outlines, flowcharts, or diagrams that help you to visually map and understand ideas.

Read each paragraph carefully and then determine “what it says” and “what it does.” Write your comments in the margin. Answer “what it says” in only one sentence. Represent the main idea of ht paragraph in your own words. To answer “what it does” describe the paragraph’s purpose within the text: for example, “Provides evidence for the author’s first main reason,” “Summarizes an opposing view.”

Write a summary of an essay or chapter in your own words. Do this in less than a page. Capture the essential ideas and maybe one or two key examples. This is a great way to be sure you know “what it says.”

Write your own exam question based on the reading.

Teach what you have learned to someone else! This is one of the most effective ways to learn. If you try to explain aloud what you have been studying: 1) you’ll transfer the information from short-term to long-term memory and 2) you’ll really know what you understand and what you don’t.